The legal action, started by the Food and Drug Administration, was against the Academy of Scientology, the Hubbard Guidance Center and the Distribution Center, Inc. They are located in buildings in the 1800 block of Nineteenth street and the 1900 block of S street N.W.

Misbranding Charged

District Court Judge William B. Jones signed an order directing the United States Marshal to seize devices known as the "Hubbard Electrometer" or the "Hubbard E Meter" and variously labeled "for use in scientology" or "for use scientological processing."

The order also directed the marshals to seize copies of 21 different pamphlets, leaflets, charts and periodicals used to promote sales and service of the "Hubbard Electrometer."

The Government charged that the device was misbranded in the eyes of the law on the ground that the various pamphlets constitute the "labeling" of instructions for use of the machine and fail to bear adequate directions for its use for the intended purposes.

The court was told that the labeling "contains statements which represent, suggest and imply that the article is adequate and effective for diagnosis, prevention, treatment, detection and elimination of the causes of all mental and nervous disorders and illnesses such as neurosis, psychoses, schizophrenia and psychosomatic illnesses, which psychosomatic ailments are represented to include most of the physical ailments of mankind, such as arthritis, cancer, stomach ulcers and radiation burns from atomic bombs, poliomyelitis, the common cold, etc., and that the article is adequate and effective to improve the intelligence quotient and to measure the basal metabolism, mental state and change of man."

Agent Poses as Student

These statements, the Government charged, are "false and misleading since the article is not adequate and effective for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, detection and elimination of the causes of the diseases" nor to improve the intelligence quotient.

The Government action followed a month-long investigation in which a Food and Drug inspector posed as a student of the Academy of Scientology. FDA reported that the buildings used by the organization are usually occupied by 100 to 150 people, including scientology students, patients and staff.

The patients, however, are not called patients but "pre-clears." As one of the seized publications explains:

"We have resolved healing. Clearing, of course, resolves it and we can clear."

Another publication says: "There is no known way to clear anyone without using a meter....The Hubbard Electrometer is an electronic device for measuring the mental state and change of state of homo sapiens."

The device was described by authorities as one-third of a lie detector. It was described as a machine which passes a small electric current through the body of the person from to the other and measures the changes in the body's resistance to the flow of current.

"Sees All, Knows All"

The "clearing" process involves the practitioner — or auditor — asking questions while the "pre-clear" or patient is on the machine. As one of the pamphlets advises: "The E-meter is never wrong. It sees all; it knows all. It tells everything."

The question-asking process is known as a "security check." Before starting the eight pages of questions, the "auditor" tells the "pre-clear" that "while we cannot guarantee you that matters revealed in this check will be held forever secret, we can promise you faithfully that no part of it nor any answers you make here will be given to the police or state."

The "pre-clear" is told that he or she can pass the test by agreeing to take it, answering the questions truthfully and "by not being a member of a subversive group seeking to injure scientology."

The questions run the whole gamut of crime. The "pre-clear" is asked if he has ever stolen anything, lived under an assumed name, shoplifted, forged, blackmailed or been blackmailed, cheated, smuggled, entered a country illegally, been in prison, embezzled, told lies in court, peddled dope, divulged Government secrets, murdered, kidnaped [sic], betrayed a trust, plotted to destroy a member of his family.

Interspersed with the other questions are these: "Are my questions embarrassing?" "Have you ever been a newspaper reporter?" "Have you ever done anything the police may find out?" "Have you ever done anything your mother would be ashamed to find out?" "Have you ever had any unkind thoughts about L. Ron Hubbard?"

Science Fiction Writer

Mr. Hubbard, whose biography is included in the material listed for seizure, is a former science fiction writer. He introduced "dianetics, the modern science of mental health" in 1950 and moved on to "scientology" and the electrometer two years later. Subsequently, he established the "Founding Church of Scientology," which also has its headquarters here.

His Hubbard Association of Scientologists International, according to the literature, has offices in Washington, Los Angeles, London, Melbourne, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Johannesburg, Union of South Africa; Paris and Berlin.

In his biography, he reports that he attended George Washington University, rose to command of a squadron in the Navy, had the adventures reported in "Mister Roberts" and now disseminates the latest "technical and training data he has developed in his research" through Hubbard Communications Offices on all continents.

His publications describe the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International as "the world's largest mental health organization" with "a dozen practitioners for every one in other mental practices."

As one of his pamphlets claims, scientology is "sufficiently simple and rapid that where it requires 12 years to train a psychiatrist, eight weeks of heavy training can permit a person to achieve results."